Hay-rake.



PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1903.

W. A. DODD.

HAY RAKE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 18, 1902.

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PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908.

W. A. DODD.

HAY RAKE APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 18. 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented September 1, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

HAY-RAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 737,717, datedSeptember 1, 1903.

Application filed September 18, 1902. Serial No. 123,905. (No mrdel.)

To a. whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. DODD, residing at Decatur, in the countyof Burt and State of Nebraska, have invented certain useful Improvementsin Hay-Rakes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in hay-rakes.

The aim of my invention is to provide a hay-rake so arranged that thehay may be readily gathered and be instantly deposited or released fromthe rake, as will be described more fully hereinafter; and my inventionembodies certain novel combinations, as will be described more fullyhereinafter and finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown in Figure 1 a top view of arake embodying myinvention with portions removed. Fig. 2 shows a sideelevation with portions removed. Fig. 3 shows a side elevationdisclosing the arrangement of the lever and sliding collar. Fig. 4 showsa sectional view of the chain-sprocket and sliding collar. Fig. 5discloses a broken view of the tongue D.

In carrying out the aim of my invention I construct a hay-rakecomprising a main axle D, which has secured to it two supporting- WheelsB.

Extending upward from the supporting axle D are the L-shapedsupporting-brackets, as shown, comprising the vertical portion 8, havingthe bearing 1 above and the bearing 9 below, and the horizontal portion2, provided with the bearing 3 at its end, as is clearly shown in Fig.2. Held within the bearings 3 is a tooth-shaft 0, provided with aplurality of rake-teeth as, as shown. This tooth-shaft G is furtherprovided with the disk 17, having a recess 18, and the collar 19, havinga suitable seating 16, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Loosely workingupon this tooth-shaft 0, between the disk 17 and the collar 1), as shownin Fig. 4, is the chainsprocket 21, provided with the hub 20 and the pin0, adapted to seat within the seating 18. Positioned between the disk 17and the gear-wheel 21 is the coil-spring 19, held within the socket 16and shown in Fig. 4, while positioned between the hub 20 and the collarb is the sliding collar a, provided with the nosing 16, adapted tonormally find a seating within the collar 1). This sliding collar a issecured by means of a pin 15 to the shifting bar 14, pivoted by means ofthe pin 13 to the bracket 12, (shown in Fig. 3 and in dotted outline inFig. 2,) which bracket is provided with the hub 5 to receive the pin 13.In order to support this bracket 12, I provide the connecting-bar 10,which is above secured to the main axle A, as disclosed in Figs. 1 and2. In front this pivoted shifting bar 14 is secured to a shifting lever32, pivotally secured by means of a pin f to the brace-bar A andprovided with a thumb-latch 33, as is usual in the art, so that thislever 32 maybe locked at suitable points to the notched sector 3', asdisclosed in Fig. 3. Now in throwing the lever 32 from side to side thepivoted shifting bar 14 is actuated to carry the sliding collar a out ofengagement with the collar 19 to force the chain-sprocket 21 intoengagement with the disk 17. M

The supporting-axle D is provided with a chain-sprocket 24, having achain 23 working over the chain-sprocket 21, so that the rotary movementof the axle D is imparted to the gear-wheel 21.

Secured within the upper bearings 1 is a transverse brace-bar A, whichhas movably secured to it by means of the bolts 0 the bars D, forming atongue, towhich the draft-animals are secured, as shown in Fig. 5.Extending from these tongue members D are the bolts 6, which havesecured to them the bow-springs 5, which springs in turn are secured tothe projecting supporting-bracket 4, which bracket is provided with thebearings 14, which encompass the brace-bar A. These bolts 6 are belowprovided with the nut 7 and are so arranged that the brace-bar A ispermitted a rocking movement, the projecting supporting-bracket 4working against the nut 7 and this nut being connected to the bolt 6,held by the spring 5. This is done so that in case ruts or stones areencountered the shock will be partly compensated, in that the hay-rakeproper is movably secured to the tongue members D.

Extending upward from the projecting su pporting-bracket 4 is aseat-brace 30, provided above with the seat 31.

When the parts have been properly constructed and connected, theoperation of my device is as follows: In carrying a rake over the fieldthe main supporting-axle D is permitted a swinging movement by virtue ofthe upper brace-bar A being loosely connected to the tongue members Dand, further-,by means ofthe spring 5, as has been set forth. As therake is advanced the axle D rotates to revolve the chainsprocket 24 andthe connected chain-sprocket 21, operated by means of-the chain 23. Thischain-sprocket 21 normally rotates about the tooth-shaft O. Thistooth-shaft O is prevented from rotating by means of the sliding collara, held by' means of the shifting bar 14:, so that normally thistooth-shaft O is immovably held. In carrying the rake across the fieldthe hay is gathered within the rake, and when a suflicient amount hasbeen collected the operator draws the lever 32 toward himself, whichresults in the sliding collar a, leaving the collar 19, so that thenosing cv of the chain-sprocket 21 engages the disk' 17 to rotate thistooth-shaft C, so that the rake-teeth are carried in a complete circlerevolving backward in the path of the arrow '2), so that the load isquickly and positively deposited. As soon as the raketeeth have beenliberated of the load the lever 32 is again shifted, so that the nosing16 engages the collar b to stop the tooth-shaft O, the spring 19promptly forcing the chain-sprocket 21 out of engagement with the disk17.

Having thus described my said invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States LettersPatent, is-' The combination with a wheel-supported porting-axle, abrace-bar within the upper end of said L-shaped supporting-bracket, ashifting lever secured to said brace-bar, a tongue loosely secured tosaid brace-bar, a bracket projecting from said brace-bar, a bolt passingthrough said tongue and through said last-mentioned bracket, a spring tosupport said bolt secured to said projecting bracket, ahorizontally-disposed supportingbar extending from aforesaidsupporting-axle, a pivotally-held shifting bar secured to saidhorizontally-disposed supporting-bar and to said shifting lever, atooth-shaft within the lower end of said L-shaped brackets,a notchedcollar fixed to said tooth-shaft, a sliding collar provided with a nosesecured to said shifting bar and working upon said tooth-shaft, saidnose being adapted to come in contact with aforesaid. notched collar, adisk provided with a seat secured to said tooth-shaft, a chain-sprocketloosely working upon said tooth-shaft provided with a nose adapted toengage the seating within aforesaid disk, a chain connectingaforementioned chainsprockets, a spring interposed between said disk andthe chain-sprocket secured to said shaft, all arranged substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix any signature in presence of two witnesses.

, WILLIAM A. DODD. Witnesses:

GEORGE W. Suns, ANNA TRACY.

